Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba met Nation Media Group owner Rostam Aziz, Saam Aziz, among other officials for a discussion about the re-opening of the media outlets
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I There is still no light at the end of the tunnel for Nation Media Group (NMG) despite a high-level meeting between Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and the media company’s shareholders and senior leadership, as no immediate decision was reached on lifting the military closure of its media outlets.
The meeting, held on Wednesday at the Special Forces Command (SFC) headquarters in Entebbe, focused on the ongoing military siege and shutdown of NMG’s operations, including NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor, as both sides sought to find common ground over a dispute that has disrupted the country’s largest independent media house.
The military shutdown followed an NTV Uganda broadcast that questioned whether Gen. Muhoozi was above the law, prompting the army chief to order the siege of the company’s headquarters in Namuwongo and demand the arrest of Nation Media Group Uganda Managing Director Susan Nsibirwa.
The closure brought newspaper printing to a halt and forced several television and radio stations owned by the media group off air, while security agencies took control of the company’s premises.
Wednesday’s discussions marked the first formal engagement between the military leadership and the company’s owners since the standoff began.
Among those attending the meeting were Tanzanian businessman Rostam Aziz, who became the largest shareholder in the Kenya-based Nation Media Group earlier this year, his son Saam Aziz, and Georgia Mutagaywa, Chief of Staff at Taarifa Limited, which oversees the group’s operations in Uganda.
Veteran journalist Andrew Mwenda and Acting Defence Public Information Director Col. Chris Magezi also participated in the discussions.
According to a brief released by the Office of the Chief of Defence Forces, the meeting reviewed specific examples of what the government considers biased and malicious reporting by Nation Media Group.
Officials said the discussions examined concerns raised by government over the editorial direction of the media house and explored possible avenues for resolving the impasse.
One of the key resolutions reached during the meeting was a commitment by the company’s ownership to pursue what was described as a more patriotic, balanced and objective approach to journalism.
The pledge forms part of broader efforts to resolve the dispute and rebuild relations between the media organisation and government.
Although no detailed roadmap was announced, the commitment was presented as an important step toward addressing the government’s concerns over NMG’s coverage of state institutions and senior government officials.
However, the discussions stopped short of securing an immediate reopening of the affected media outlets.
Instead, Gen. Muhoozi said the outcome of the meeting would first be communicated to President Yoweri Museveni before any further action is taken.
“I will submit a report on the discussions to President Museveni before a final decision is taken on the reopening of the affected outlets,” the CDF said after the meeting.
The announcement means the fate of NTV Uganda, the Daily Monitor and the group’s other media platforms now rests with the President, who ordered the security-led inquiry that culminated in the shutdown.
Government officials have maintained that the operation is part of an ongoing investigation involving the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and other security agencies.
Gen. Muhoozi has previously defended his decision to order the closure, accusing Nation Media Group of conducting what he described as a sustained campaign of blackmail against the government and its leadership.
The shutdown has significantly affected the company’s traditional broadcasting and publishing operations.
Nation Media Group Uganda owns NTV Uganda, the Daily Monitor, Spark TV, KFM, Dembe FM, The EastAfrican, Ennyanda newspaper and Nation Courier, making it one of the country’s largest multimedia organisations.
Despite the closure of its printing presses and broadcast stations, the company has continued serving audiences through its digital platforms.
Managing Director Susan Nsibirwa earlier said the company had successfully shifted its focus online while awaiting the outcome of the government’s investigations.
“Nothing much has changed. Our websites are active, our social media handles are active… so we’re just digital now,” she said.
The continued digital presence has allowed the media house to maintain its news operations, even as its television, radio and newspaper businesses remain largely paralysed by the military action.
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